SharkBite Fittings - Awesome or A Failure Waiting To Happen?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ย. 2017
- amzn.to/2ier3e2 Here's the one I keep in my truck in both 1/2" & 3/4" for most Plumbing emergencies.
SharkBite Plumbing Connectors - Matt's Opinion on them... are they awesome, or a FAILURE waiting to happen?
Jordan Smith - / jordansmithbuilds
Here's the link to the blog post I mentioned. This is worth a read:
www.pexuniverse.com/leaks-sha...
/ risingerbuild
www.mattrisinger.com
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Thank you for not adding music and splash screens, and thereby trying to be a movie star. The clear, no-nonsense explanation that you gave us is exactly what we needed.
AMEN to that. I come to these sites to learn not be irritated by wasting my time.
Seriously, sometimes the opening is longer than the actual content
I thought I was the only one who hated that stuff, lol.
I know these are for indoor use, but I do have a personal experience. I have have 2 of these outside to hook up my water to my sprinkler system, these things have been out in the weather in Canada and I am so impressed with how, even exposed to the worst elements and temp swings these things are holding up, and they have been outside like this for 10 years now connecting copper pipe!
the water pressure is what creates a strong seal.
These have been used in other parts of the world for way longer than 15 years. Their success, like anything building related, relies on the prep. I always clean the pipe and use some plumbing grease before I put one in. Been using them since they came to market here and did a hot water line repair in a kitchen wall the day the we're available. Fast forward around 15 years later. Same area had a leak in the wall again. Had to go in and open everything up, I stated to think it was that SharkBite fitting and panicked a little. Upon inspection, come to find it was another section of pipe on the cold side that was deteriorated. The SharkBite still looked good and didn't show signs of any leaks or compromise. We went ahead and disassembled our old repair and made a much more extensive repair job out of the whole situation. When I got to inspect the fitting itself the o-ring was slightly flattened but showed absolutely no signs of deterioration. The grease really does protect the o-ring. This is why I say prep your stuff right and you won't have the problem to begin with!
We used one in the basement at our water reservoir building for a city for a chlorine analyzer and it still works like a charm to this day! That was like 2007
I was a plumber for over 12 years, and for the last 10 years I've worked in the largest independent plumbing supply house on the east coast. I have installed hundreds, and sold thousands of these fittings. The only way these things fail are hydraulic pressure from freezing or poor instalation. As long as the pipe is clean cut at a 90 degree angle, smooth and completely round where the o-ring will make contact with the pipe, fully inserted, and deburred you will not have any issues with this product. This isn't new technology, just perfected, Delta had these things back in the 80s they were much bigger and made of plastic except for the teeth, they just weren't removable. In 10 years of selling them only 2 or three have been returned to my store, but not for credit, they were returned by plumbers during a freeze, showing how hard these things were trying to hold onto the pipe before tearing the brass apart very similar to the one that failed in this video. There's not much out there that can compete with the hydraulic pressure of freezing not even cast iron. The brand I sell is tec-tite which has a warranty of 50 years, that is better than most pipe manufacturers so I'll let you decide from my experience. Good luck guys!
ElectricPasTime the labor savings alone!
I am no plumber have used several times as a matter fact just ran water to my shop using no issues at all!!! Love the product
I've had a couple to pop off. It seemed like the teeth wasn't digging in good
ElectricPasTime Yep, Cut straight, Cleaned, deburred and I’ll take a fine file and lightly remove the outer sharp edges of the pipe to help prevent cutting the O ring, By creating a small ramp type edge. This might be unnecessary but I’ve never had a problem where I’ve used these connectors
electricpistime .with all of the above satisfied unfortunately these fittings can still fail. And they do as you said. nothing wrong with soldering copper joints. I've taken out many 80 year old or so blown fittings that are still as strong as the day they were installed. peace
Matt, thanks for putting out the content for your channel. I'm installing a water softener and this is my first real dive into plumbing. But I checked out the other content on your channel and it's all great! You explain stuff perfectly without too much chatter. Consider me a new subscriber!
Very informative. Thank you Matt.
I am replacing an RV 6 gallon water tank with a heat on demand water heater. My camping trailer is on a permanent site with very good well water (no city additives) and all fittings readily accessible.
Until today I had never heard of SharkBite fittings. They are going to make my job a whole lot easier.
Thank you, Matt, I enjoy watching your channel. I bought one shark bite Angle stop to replace a toilet water valve - purchased the right angle stop valve to replace an old compression fitting. Its outside the wall so i feel this will be in clear visible view for any leaks. again, appreciate all the information you provide in the home building and remodeling world. Burt Vickers Houston Texas.
One other great use for the noon plumber in some situations you don't know if you have completely shut off the water. An open shark bite ball valve can be jamed on and then closed and you now have control over the water again. In appartments generally the water shut off is a long way away and the shut off for the shower valves are old and only partially work.
Thank you Matt. I used Sharkbite fittings on PEX, copper, and PVC tubing as part of a Tankless Water Heater install done in 2005. They've been rock solid since, even on the heater hot-water outlet side where there is a 90 degree Sharkbite elbow between copper pipe on the heater side, and PEX for the run into a 27 gallon buffer tank / heat exchanger for an underfloor heating system that is heated by the Tankless heater (in addition to providing domestic water). The tankless water outlet setting to the buffer / heat exchanger is 160 deg and the sharkbite fitting right under the heater has been fine. That said, all of my Sharkbites are visible for inspection. Thought my experience has been excellent with Sharkbite fittings, I think your recommendation to use more permanent connections inside of walls is a sound one. Not only are soldered (Copper) or crimped (PEX) fittings way less expensive than Sharkbite, but local codes might not support the Sharkbite inside walls.
Thank you for this video. It's very helpful to be able to see and understand how something functions rather than a simple 'just take our word for it' approach other people tend to use.
I have never had a Sharkbite fail !
I worked for Home Depot and had my doubts, but I used a lot of them and they are great!
These particular fittings may only have been on the market for 20 years (15 mentioned in the video, dated 5 years ago), but I used equivalents, in the UK and in France, 32 years ago. Only one has failed in that time and that was due to freezing pushing the pipes apart - the stop-cock was off, so there was no flooding when it thawed.
I am sold on the Shark bites! We put a new well pump and due to the water pressure increase, some old connectors developed small leaks. I replaced those old connectors with Shark Bites. So easy to install and perfect, no leaks. Some of those old copper pipes looked rather bad and I was worried they might leak, but everything is holding up great!
Good product!!
if you bury them make sure you sealed them with silicone tape!
To help prevent them from leaking, it's important the section of the pipe going into the fitting is clean and smooth, not marked. Equally important too, the pipe must be cut square, so a proper pipe cutter of sorts should be used. When used on copper pipes, clean up any sharp edges after cutting. I've used them several times and only had leaks on pipes that weren't cut square. Also not mentioned by Matt in the video clip, once the fitting is pressed onto the pipe, they can be twisted around to the right orientation without leaking. I've even done this while the connection was under pressure and it didn't leak.
You got it right, I use them in any area I can access, emergency temporary repairs and the are great in mobil home repairs
Basically I cannot see the point in using them at all. Just because you can easily access a joint that has failed does not reduce the damage it may have caused, especially if it failed big time. Try telling a customer that you are really please you can get at the joint easily when her bathroom ceiling is floating around in her lounge.
@@1414141x What you're saying is SharkBite connectors are a second string product with no evidence to support that claim. A poorly soldered joint inside a wall is no different than a SharkBite connector that was installed without proper preparation of the copper pipe. There's no evidence of SharkBite connector failures attributed to their being a defective product, it's always "pilot error."
I've heard stories of these failing, never seen one fail myself, though. I follow Matt's advice and don't put them where I can't see them. Another advantage of them is that the pipe doesn't need to be empty. If you can't clear the water from a pipe, soldering the joint will be very difficult. These will work no matter what.
If you have water in the pipe.. What I do is put bread and then sweat a ball valve. Then start from there.
@@chadchad9407 in the time in took you to open the bread bag, the sharkbite is already installed
I agree 100% with you. I only install these in the open where I can see them NOT hidden behind a wall.
Awesome review. About to upgrade my crawl space plumbing from 1/2” to 3/4” The supply is 3/4”. This video has just made my mind up. Thank you
I carry them as a first aid kit for household pipes , I’ve never drilled a pipe , but have seen plenty of accidents over the years , in that application , they perfect !
I’ve been using these since they first came out, they’re superb. I’m a maintenance engineer, so as they’re very expensive I wouldn’t use them for an install. My first purchase was of a bucket of various 15mm and 22mm tees, elbows and straights, at the time a comparable bucket of soldered end feed fittings was £25, my bucket of Techtite cost £170. Now that’s a huge difference I’ll admit, but they are totally worth it.
Imagine when you’re on call, I’ve had a middle of the night call out, water pouring through a ceiling. I turn up, get my copper cutters, cut the pipe and bang a cap end on, bingo, water stopped and I’ll come back in the morning and carry out a proper repair. Or, I’m on site and need to carry out a quick repair, no “hot works permit” required ( which can easily take an hour to get ) no waiting 45 minutes after last soldered joint, just get on and be on my way. The other bonus is you can use them if there’s water still passing an isolation valve or water standing in the pipe rendering the soldering option impossible.
If you a maintenance engineer have some 15/22/28 straight connectors, elbows, tees and cap ends in your tool box, you won’t regret it.
Fully agree, SharkBite is great for emergency, temporary repairs.
Make sure the pipe is cut at 90 degrees and "they MUST push on 1 full inch" (mark the pipe at the 1 inch spot to be sure) and they are great. But I would only use them where you have easy access. Great for DIY water heater replacement, that's what I used them for. Great video as always.
Thats how a plumber did one for me and it leaked and cause my electrical panel to catch fire resulting in a very expensive clean up. I avoid push on connectors for just that reason. Weld those joints you lazy people or use pro-press.
Some kind of plumber that guy is. Used shark bites in my basement a few years back still no issues.
Thanks for making a vid on these, the side-cut, and the stress test. I was installing an icemaker line and when I was sizing the shutoff valve at the wall, it had actually been ever so slowly dripping under the knob down into the crawlspace. I'm unsure for how long, but thankfully there was a plastic box and the drip traveling the tube didn't seem to be hitting any insulation or wood. I went and got a SharkBite shut-off valve, a pex cutter, and a removal tool in case I didn't cut it right. Quick, solid, fix and beats a $60-$90 dollar pex crimp tool a non-plumber may rarely use. Hooked up the feed line to the back of the fridge. Good to go. :)
Excellent video, well filmed, clear and accurate description, you have just saved me having to call a plumber at weekend rates.
I don't see any reason why there would be any thumbs down. I found this video to be helpful and honest review.thank you.
Alot People are lame
Ive got limited experience with em but they've been LEGENDARY when I've used them
I appreciate this video and the mix of pros and cons comments. I feel comfortable with our plumber's choice to use behind our water heater.
Great video, great sound, no giggling of the camera. I also liked how you split the fitting to show what was inside. I was a truck driver, and I drove Volvo trucks. Volvo uses these type of fittings on the plastic air hoses for brakes, air bag suspendon, even to the air seat. I have had 3 fail on me. one to the seat, and two for the air ride system. When I had to do some plumbing repairs to my house I knew I was going to use solider, copper fittings and pipe.
They may be relatively new to the consumer market, but the push to terminate type fittings have been around for quite a long time now in industry. I have personally used them in industrial settings for over 2 decades now and have found them to be quite reliable, and in far harsher conditions than any home would subject them to.
In industry there is always someone watching... Inside a house wall... Not so much
I used to work for a bathroom renovation company, we used the shark bite caps over and over again as a temporary cap off during demolition. We had the same 10 or so caps and used them for around 12 months before replacing them with new ones. Not one ever failed.
I'm pretty sure my pipes are galvanized. Do they work on that galvanized pipe ?
I'm pretty sure my pipes are galvanized. Do they work on that galvanized pipe ?
@@frankmontez6853
They make different caps for different types of pipes eg: one type for copper, one type for PEX.
I'm not sure if they make a specific one for galvanized pipe. I've never seen them.
I used a bunch to install a whole house water filtration/softener/sanitizer system, with a bypass line, in a viewable area several years ago, and so far so good.
I only use these for temporary connections during remodel so I still have water while I work on walls and floors in a wet room or kitchen. Once I run all the new pipe and walls and floors are done, I can shut off the water and properly glue all pipes and connect to fixtures. Bought a house that had all the copper stolen but the bit of pipe from the one toliet in the house was copper and the meter was still connected in the work shop. I was not ready to run a full plumbing job yet since the house needed gutting but we needed to use the toilet and sink to wash so I temporarily connected some cpvc straight run from the meter just under the bathroom floor down to the meter using sharkbites with shut off valve shark bite on the line between toilet and meter pipe. Once the house is gutted and remodeled and ready for permanent runs, I remove the temp sharkbite setup and finish off the glued in place cpvc runs,etc. Lovely lovely! I would not trust this tech beyond temporary use..
I’ve only used one inside a wall once in all my years, as we had little choice due to the circumstances with this particular house. This fact STILL keeps me up at night now almost eight years later.
I’m not a plumber i install this shark bites to splice copper pipe to pex in a wall for a shower now only time will tell if i made a mistake or not
I've had cpvc joints that were cement glued fail after 12 years on me before. So nothing is full proof to not fail. The most common sharkbite failures are due to improper installs, that's why they tend to be taboo. you have to properly prep your pipes before using sharkbite and a lot of DIYers skip the proper prep work before installing one and then complain about sharkbite failing on them as a result.
10 years ago I used a shark bite valve for my water main. I would have Soldered a valve in however that valve at the street would not turn off entirely so solder was a no go. The shark bite saved the day and is still going strong.
Your approaching the lifespan of the rubber seal.
@@mrdan2898 I moved so now it’s someone else’s problem lol but I agree.
@@aquatrax123 lmfaooo
@@aquatrax123 agree to what
@@hammertime4257 I replyed to @mrdan2898 but he deleted his comment.
This video is great for someone like me who just bought a first home, and is handy but doesn't have much solder/plumbing experience. I plan to replace the (possibly leaky?) compression valves for my washer inlet with 1/4 turns, but I'm going to have to do a lot more research as it's indoors and I need to cut through the drywall. I appreciate the logical/critical info. Thanks for the video!
One more option to put in the toolbox... I'm glad I know how to do it every other way... I cannot believe how many people don't know how to solder correctly.. but it's really good for business... Push connect .. not bad . I believe. Will wait and see what happens...
I have used them alot under my house. And I found that even in a freezing environment they held up very well.
I wish that was the case for me.. just left home d having to get a pressure reducer valve due to a pipe freezing and expanding and expanding the plastic and rubber now it leaks.. I think it’s a gimmick, I never installed it in the first place but the fact it’s failed and isnt thay old of a valve just shows it’s got major flaws..
@@311mdub It could be that you never cleaned/deburred the pipe properly before adding the Sharkbite. Sharp edges and imperfections on a pipe end can damage the rubber O-ring in the fitting, leading to premature wear.
Great Video Matt. I’m doing a demo job at one of my projects today and we needed to cap one of the water supply lines for baseboard. Shark bites a great for temporary use but I totally agree they’re definitely not a permanent solution that should never be buried in walls.
I love the no-nonsense approach to this video. No time wasted here. Subbed
Thanks for the heads up on the ground.
I live in an old rental house, have to replace the main shut off... normally I'd just solder the connections... but it's two stories - I know there's going to be that one drip that will just never stops screwing up the flow of the solder. But it's also my water pipe ground... So I'll just install a jumper across the fittings. For O-rings we used to use either petroleum jelly or windex, ammonia is Basic (opposite of an acid) so it's properties are it's slippery when wet. The windex tip is great for things like slip on rubber tool handles - that won't slip on. Windex makes em slide and when it dries up no more slip.
Installed thousands
No problems at all
Seating the fittings fully is key 🔑
Great video. I used these to install a water heater. Simple and worked great!
till it blows. Use pro-press if your to lazy to weld.
I just replaced an outdoor spigot (silcock) that had a built-in shark-bite connector. Really was a godsend for the job. One point that you might want to make, is that shark-bite connectors will rotate (or spin), so I will definitely have to anchor the tap in the correct orientation.
These work great and save the day in many situations. I had a leaky main shutoff in my house, and the street shutoff also leaked. That meant I could not sweat any fittings. But with the shark bite, I easily replaced by house shutoff. Then I was free to sweat other joints, any other work with completely dry pipes. I wouldn’t put a sharkbite inside a wall, but in a basement or accessible location they are excellent. A possible failure mode might be long term corrosion of the teeth. So that possibility would keep me from placing it in an inaccessible place. But I am very confident of them over the intermediate term in accessible locations. Another advantage is the ease of installation. Far easier than sweating a joint. And they can be removed with a simple tool (tongs are best).
I do maintenance work for a living and have used these a lot. I have never had a shark bite brand connector fail as of yet bit I did use a cheap brand from lowes that did fail.
Yea, those Bluehawk's were garbage. they would leak and then you couldn't get them off. I had to cut several off. I have had a Sharkbite valve fail but it was one I had reused multiple times during remodeling.
As a Plumber (going on 30 years) I believe that "quick & easy" fixes with these fittings", are great for the inexperienced homeowner. However, the professional should always make the best repair possible re: replacement of section with soldered fittings. Great for temporary fixes, capping, etc.
Absolutely true. I fully agree. Although most SharkBite fans won't consider this. I love SharkBite for emergency repairs. But like you said, if I can perform a permanent fix, I will do that. I've seen too many SharkBite's fail shortly after install for unknown reasons.
Great video. Great information . Push to connect fittings are great, been using them for years now, with no issues.
Great review of push fitting. I installed a double-water heater (back to back water heaters) under the house using push fittings and it worked great. Not worried about location because of our drainage system under the house (previous water heater burst and there was no water under the house). Replacing a water heater in a laundry room this week and even though I can see the fittings, I think I'll stick with crimp fittings for this install. Thanks.
I discovered the PVC/Copper coupling when replacing my well pressure tank. After spending 2 hours trying to get the 1" copper pipe hot enough to properly solder and still getting leaks, I went the PVC route, with the Sharkbite as the transition to the existing copper. Literally done in 30 minutes. Sure, it was $18, but well worth it in eliminated frustration.
I am a facilities manager. I have 44 water heaters installed, all with sharkbite fittings and valves. About 10 fittings per installation. Some have been on for as long as 12 years. Not one drop of leakage, nor one grain of salt creep (high mineral content in our local water). They have, at least up to 12 years, had 100% reliability.
100% agree
Very helpful. Wish I'd watched it before I bought them. I installed 4 of them, and 3 of them leaked, most probably due to my error. Because they are in the wall, I'm going back to brass, and will keep the push-to-fits for exposed areas or emergencies. Thanks heaps for this vid - great work. :)
I used a similar product (I think it was called prestolok) for 1/4 and 3/8 tubing (similar to pex) in pneumatic applications in manufacturing equipment in the '80s and never had a blow out unless someone didn't install it completely. So I was really excited to see sharkbites in the store in about 2009. I have always been nervous about the lack of time testing and hesitate to use them in a closed location like a wall or between floors however, I have when the location was really tight and the only option was to destroy the room. That has been quite some time but again, only time will tell. Thanks for the analysis.
Good video Matt I’m a38 year master plumber , I agree with not using them everywhere but I have been using the more in the last 3 to 4 years for hose bibs wth pex and making a loop in the stud space , that way anyone can pull the hose bib out and change it with no special tools such as the Uponor expansion tool I could use . Guess I’m taking away my call back work ha ha . well in about 3 more years I’m throwing in the towel. I also use them if I run out of pex fittings that go from pex to copper comes in handi . One other place. Water filters and pressure booster pumps they make great unions since you can turn them . Ive used these in quite a few applications like that and have not had any issues . Although I would agree for everyday plumbing and heating piping Pex expansion or Solder or propress . Thanks for your sharing and contribution to the trades. Joe Tonozzi Pressurized Systems Inc Western Colorado
Thanks Joe. Appreciate your comments
Plumbers use pro-press not press on.
@@robertcastleberry5108 I'm a retired mater plumber, and anything I can't put a wrench is shit. Pro Press is the best.
I've used tons of them. Never once had a problem with one
Thank you for a great informative video. I'm stoked that this is the only one I'll have to watch to learn what I wanted about shark bite fittings. Anybody that is going to post a how to or product review should have to watch this before posting their vid. All the information was easy to understand, good camera views, didnt hear anything about what your cat was doing earlier or any other information I didn't want. I rarely post comments and I suppose that is because I rarely see videos worth commenting on. Thanks again. I'll be sure to check out some of your other posts👍
Thanks for the tip Matt. You'e right, use it outside the wall, especially replacing water heater.
Yeh, Love that Idea because it is definitely better than my sweat soldering skills.
Great point about the gaskets. I plan to install my new hot water heater myself so this is nice info. Use them where you can easily get to them in the future. For a new install with good copper pipe, these should last at least 10 years I bet.
ours are 25 years old... I'm a welder by trade, so everthing behind the valves are 316 grade steel welded together :-) I doubt it will need attention in 50 years.
unless a car goes through our house or somthing
The rubber is epdm. Which w
I'll take decades to dry out and can also stand up to chlorine and other chemicals
10 years ? That is NOTHING. Imagine a water line fails in the ceiling of a 10 years old house and floods it. I thank the manufacturer and pass on it. There is no reason to use it. The copper to plastic joints are easy to use for a DIY and in the way, I'd just use the primer+glue. No way I'd feel safe with these in the wall.
I would definitely NOT use these for hooking up a water heater. solid pro plumbing all the way. I've had an old water heater bust on me and that was a lot of water spilling out through the closet soaking into the carpet and drywall. If the bite failed for any reason..... clean up is a bitch...and so is that wonderful funky musty smell that lingers for months
@@oldwortex5818 10 years os a random number he made up ive personally been using sharkbites for about 15 years over thousands of residents and have only had a handful of callbacks
I have twelve of these fittings in my basement, that I installed about thirteen years ago. None have failed. Make sure pipe is clean AND deburred AND make sure they are seated ALL the way.
honest opinion. thumbs up.
yah ive never seen a failure from one of these but again 20 years... we are not looking at tomorrow guys we are looking at maybe my kids have to fix this type problems. long after im gone.
thanks Matt for your insight
yes i use sharkbite and will still be using it.
Matt, I've been a licensed master plumber for 30 years and I agree with everything you said.
I am a licensed master plumber. I used to use sharkbites on re-models until I spoke with another plumber who told me a story. He knew a plumber that cut and capped some copper water lines with sharkbite caps. When the cabinet installer came, he cut holes in the backing of his cabinet and installed the cabinet with the copper stub out protruding through the cabinet like they are supposed to be. These particular cabinets were high-end with decent heavy wood for the backing. So when the cabinet installer jiggled and wiggled the cabinet into and out of position to get it shimmed and fitting properly, he inadvertently removed a sharkbite cap! This resulted in a flood. The backing of the cabinet with the hole fit snugly around the pipe with the SB cap, acted like the removal tool and popped the SB cap off of the pipe.
So for this licensed master plumber, I solder copper hard caps now. No more sharkbites on a re-model.
@@tcudahey9550 Human error. Not a product failure. Also, I spoke with a plumber who knew a plumber! Come on, get real.
@@tcudahey9550 Any Video on this? Sounds like a hoot.
These types of fittings are used in industrial environments, and all over the place. they're great. Just need to watch out for the pitfalls of them, which is, improper initial fitting
what constitutes as an improper initial fitting? im interested in learning more, just installed some end caps for the first time.
You have to dibur tips after you cut the pipes
very detailed mate! love your work, as a builder you are right, i hate calling plumber for disconnections they charge very high for closing off.
EXCEPT !!! when you do take them off the plumbers always run off with it
I have used a lot of these over the course of 20 years.
I have never had one leak, and I've even had them on frozen PEX without a problem. I would call that one a stroke of luck.
I have seen them leak when installed poorly - and found the valves to be in perfectly decent condition. I have even replace the seals in these and reused them.
I tend to avoid these primarily because of the high cost.
When I do use them they are in accessible locations.
The most common way that I have used them is to transition from CPVC to PEX.
But the usage that sold me on it was once when I had to deal with a defective main valve.
The water could not be cut off from the meter face, or at the main cut off inside the home.
Naturally, we intended to replace the meter valve, but time was an issue.
I was able to cut the main pipe just behind the main valve and slip the new shark bite valve into place. The valve was open in order to do this and I quickly closed it. With the valve closed I believe water pressure would have prevented me from installing it in this fashion.
It worked very well and allowed the project to continue on schedule. It took the utility company an additional five weeks before they sent someone out to repair the meter shut off. That 5 weeks would have cost thousands in delays.
I would not recommend these in conditions where they are exposed to the elements. The rubber seals are quite susceptible to grit intrusion which will wear them out quickly.
And personally, I would never install them in an inaccessible location. I have used them to revamp shower assemblies inside of walls, but only when accessible through a panel.
I am confused about the test you performed at 4:15. The initial video suggests that A) you just capped the pipe, but the results look as thought you then B) pressurized it to failure. If B, was the pipe copper and at what pressure did it fail?
Great video. Thanks.
Very neutral explanation. The learning point is put it in visible place. Thank you.
Finally, an unbiased review. Thanks.
Matt I’m glad you mentioned one of the way these SharkBites will fail is ground contact. They can fail within 5 years. I am an irrigation contractor and I get called out for leaks replacing a handful of these every year. Both installed by plumbers on the house line and irrigation contractors for the main hookup off the water line to the house. They corrode, the pitting in the metal is worse than most rusted steel that I have seen. I’d like to send you some pics although I didn’t see an email on your website.
I have used a similar fitting in New Zealand for about 15 to 20 years. Not shark bite by retaining system almost exactly the same. Have not had any issues with them. Went back to a house that I plumbed 18 years ago to do the plumbing on an addition. Same owners and they told me I was the first andonly plumber to ever work there. She, yes she, did her own very minor R&M. They never had an issue with any water piping.
Thanks for the video and explaining how these fittings actually work (always wondered). Have installed a lot of copper over the years and recently PEX as well. I agree with all your comments about the SharkBite fittings. Really super to have around for quick repairs or temporary workarounds but like you, I would not recommend putting them in a wall or someplace where I couldn't see them. I used these on my water heater about 5 years ago with the intention replacing them with copper but they have not leaked so I've left them in place.
i used shark bite and PEX for my air lines in my shop ... 125 / 150 psi .... 4 years and not a leak one ... not even a hiss ... The only failures i have ever had with a sharkbite was because of me .... pipe out of round because i was careless cutting it.
You bring up a very intelligent and meaningful point concerning chlorine and rubber. My wife taught microbiology at a major US university for 33 years. One of the things she told me that their labs were constantly changing out were the "squirt" bottle that were filled with chlorine bleach. They stopped working after a while because the chlorine ate the rubber gaskets up. Of course those solutions inside those bottles were a lot higher than the chlorination running through our water pipes but over time I can see your point. Only time will tell. You also make a valid point as to where to use these ( not in walls). Good video. Well presented.
I should add that the chlorine going through the main water system in the US is miniscule compared to the concentration in a squirt bottle. Therefore it could take decades to actually determine the failure potential in a Sharkbite fitting due to chlorine.
I recently replaced 3 old hose bibs, at least 50 yrs old, the last one finally gave up. but I love the sharkbite system, I put 3 new frostfree sharkbite hose bibs on by myself in about an hour, and plumbed in a whole new sink in a new addition with the pex, its fast, it works, and I have no worries
Yeah, definitely keep these from freezing temps... the ice expansion will pull these right off the pipe, especially PEX pipe. Otherwise I love these fittings, very user-friendly even for inexperienced guys like me.
Thats a bs statement about freezing temperatures, half my basement has sharkbite fittings and they other half has soldered and about 2 months later we had a blizzard that blew my basement windows open and froze my pipes. All my sharkbites were fine but half my soldered fittings blew right off the pipes from the ice. And whats funny is all my sharkbites were real close to the broken window while the soldered fittings werent. The ice pushed the soldered fittings out but not the shark bite lol.
before putting the shark bit fitting on you have to rim the out side edge of the cut pipe know matter what kind of pipe. then put the shark bit on. That will keep you from damaging the rubber O ring.
Have used them a couple of times. They worked great.
Thanks for the info and opinion. I will be replacing my water heater tomorrow and I don't know how to solder copper tubing. Luckily the only copper tubing is for the T&P valve so the tubing won't always have water passing through it. This will help me save time and money.
I’ve used these since they come out on complete installs with NO failures at all
Great info. Thanks for making this video. ENJOY
thanks for a great informative video i have actually used them this week on my fridge supply water line, i also installed a water filter on that line using these connectors, do you think it is safe on that 1/4 inch line?
I love these things for doing renovations I keep multiple in line and caps with me at all times.. For an instant repair of an oops or to cap off lines I have installed them with full water pressure coming out of the pipe ... Yes I got wet but man It was sure nice to have..... However I would never allow one to be buried in a wall or out of instant reach ... Solder it or glue it or pro clamp it ... But for an emergency or temporary stop they are excellent
Never had any issues, used on potable water, and hydronic heating. Have some over 10 yrs in service.
As a plumber, I hate it when builders use these as a temporary cap IF they don't work out what feeds the pipe first. A compression cap I can slacken off and if it still has pressure, I can tighten it again. A push-fit is all or nothing and when the builder has forgotten which pipe is which, I can easily waste an hour. Moral of the story is always label a capped pipe.
It’s hilarious, I watched this video over the weekend, and was interested about your recommendations not to use these where the pipes may freeze, and today I was called in for a water pipe burst. The cause? A shark bite connector installed in an uninsulated crawlspace that had froze and broke its seal. FP. Thanks for doing this review, as it definitely helped narrow down the problem.
I thought you were very balance with your approach to this subject. I agree pretty much with everything you had to say. I really appreciated when you made it clear that you were giving your opinion and not presenting it as fact. There are too many people out there presenting information as if it were fact when its not and pretending to be experts in the field when they are not. I would be more inclined to listen to you again in the future because of this. Thank you!
If you are concerned about the longevity of the o-ring, how do you feel about ProPress fittings? They have an o-ring too although they are held on by a crimp rather than the metal teeth.
Same applies the o ring will rot
I'm currently doing a remodel and removed a big tub from a master bath, I capped the tub's water lines off with these. Now I need to cut the pipes off below the subfloor level and cap them off for good down there and I am really hesitant to use these for that. They seem really really good but like you and others have said I have a bad feeling about hiding them away under the subfloor and above the first floor ceiling seems like a callback with thousands in repairs waiting to happen. At the same time I haven't done a ton of copper pipe soldering so I've been going back and forth on what to do. I'll probably just solder caps on. I suppose I could do compression fittings but those have more failure points than these imo. At least the ones I could find, involve a compression onto the 1/2" copper pipe and then a threaded plug on the other end, while they would be fairly easy for someone in the future to connect up to there's two failure points on them and these only have one. Then you got guys like Roger Wakefield who trashes sharkbite every chance he gets but that's not my experience with them so idk what to do to be honest, too stressful.
Just had a gas furnace installed in NJ, switching from oil as the gas company installed lines in our town. The copper crush tool is basically a shark bite. A lot of the copper was right by the new gas furnace. A copper outer fitting and the tool crunches and the rubber fitting inside. That's the only thing to hold the water back, the rubber O ring ? Then plastic pipe after that. They used the plastic expander type on everything after the furnace area. There is a new shark bite out, used it on a leaking outside frost spigot while the water was off. Took all of 5 min. Great item to use. Cleaned the copper, and plastic tube after it, with a kitchen scrubber (white on one side, blue other). That blue side cleaned the copper pipe nice. The pros use the copper crush connectors. The tool cost a few thousand. The expander plastic rings, again the tool is $500. Neither is a DYI tool.
Like this guys honesty.
In the UK they have been around for a long time. I have fittings now that are around 27 years old. Never had a problem once they were fitted (and did not leak)
+logik100 wow. Didn’t realize they were that old. I seemed to find 15 years in my searches online
Really surprised to see a video like this on a product, as you say, we’ve been using in the UK for years and years.
I’ve put in hundreds and hundreds of JG type. Never had one single leak. I don’t expect one.
A lot of misleading statements made on this video. For example, I have 15 year old JG end-caps I’ve used hundreds of times. So it’s nonsense to say don’t use then more than a few times 😂
You are right in they have been around longer than 15yrs. Used these myself once many years ago also in the UK, and found they would not hold onto chromed pipes ( I was fitting a shower over a bath ) as soon the the water was turned on the fittings blew off. Ended up sanding the chrome to expose the copper underneath so they could bite.
Ken Povall manufactures like John Guest specifically say you SHOULD NOT use these on chrome. The teeth can’t bite in to it.
Graham Southern Do you keep a log of how many times you've used each fitting? Why would you even have to use a fitting "hundreds and hundreds of times"?
I've used these for both copper and Pex for my household repairs/modifications for 20 years. I wouldn't use anything else. Have never had a leak, under sinks, and for the shower hot and cold pipes in my current house.
We started putting them in around 2006 and some of the sharkbite fittings (elbows, couplings, valves etc) are roughly 12-14 years old. They are replacing copper which started getting pin hole leaks. I removed some to look inside and there is no sign of the sharkbites going bad at this point. They do tarnish some after a while. As for worrying about putting them inside a wall, I'd be more worried about copper than I would be the sharbites at this point since they are already starting to outlast some of the original fittings. There are also some original pvc plastic fittings that are over 30 years old and not a single sign of of them wearing down. I can't say that for the copper which could spring a leak on any day whether it's inside a wall or not.
*AWESOME!* The sharkbites are the ONLY fittings that (after two years) haven't leaked ONE DROP. I did a plumbing project where I used various compression/flare fittings on copper tubing (leaked like crazy) - as well as sharkbites - and the sharkbites on pex/copper never leaked at all from the get-go. I was totally skeptical using them for the first time, but not any more!
Just keep the push connections out of the walls, make sure you hear/ feel them slide in. Other than that I've had good experience with this type of connection for the hard to get to or temporary fix.
thanks for the video....I'm going to keep some different sized caps in my home for emergencies.
Hi...I agree with Joshua! I'm a remodeling Contractor for 30 years. We've been using Sharkbites for over 10 years now...Great time savings especially transitioning from Copper to CPVC. Many of our caps have been used up to 30 times with ZERO failure! So...think about the properly installed one use Sharkbite! I've asked plumbers their opinion... 10 years ago...NOT! Now...they love them! Totally AWESOME product...I wish I invented them!
Go Sharkbite!!!!
I been using them and haven’t had any issues.
Used them about 15 years ago and have had no problems!!
same here
It’s just random luck, had a 3/4” tee installed and blew off when pressurized, teeth were not bent enough to grab the copper, defective tee, only happed once in 15 years but that water damage costed me
Mike Litty they stink, but yea for you🎉🎉🎉
I've seen about 4 different houses with shark bite leaks 3 were minor because they were found and one blew off and caused 1000s of dollars worth of damage. All I do is solder I can't trust friction and rubber to stop water
Couple more years and u will see
Thank goodness for sharkbites. The copper to CPVC pipe failed on my water heater after replacing the Anode rod. Thankfully there was a sharkbite water heater pipe replacement with shutoff. Fixed it in minutes, vs cutting back further, installing a valve, and water heater pipe.
I've recommended this video to people that want to know about sharkbites. Good unbiased assessment.
Three things make all the difference. 1. PEX doesn't freeze and burst in vacant rental houses. 2. With the cost of plumbing a new home around $10K for a rough-in with PEX, and $14K for copper, how many builders are going to ask for copper? 3. When homes are built in uninhabited areas, the thieves will steal the copper plumbing within a week of installation.
Excellent points
The PEX tubing itself wont burst when frozen, But the fittings will. I seen it.
+Rick Delair
I can concur about the new lead free brass bursting a year or two after installation and being a royal pain to solder properly. There is a big variability in the quality of the new brass fittings, so you have to be careful to get ones that were manufactured properly.
Fortunately, you can still buy leaded brass fittings on ebay, and they're REALLY CHEAP to boot! Just don't tell anyone ;) and try to avoid sticking them on cold kitchen faucet runs, if you ask me.
i have these connectors on plumbing in my home going on 10 years no with no issue, highly recommended